Fuel vaporizer



ietented Nov. 2i, i922,

narran winnaar H. m11., or CANTON, omo.

FUEL VAPOBIZER.

Application led January 8, 1921. Serial No. 435,779.

T o all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, lViLLIAM H. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at 415 Wells St., S. W.; Canton, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel Vaporizers, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to apparatus for the treatment of liquid fuels to prepare' them for use in combustion devices' and particularly to apparatus for effecting the rapid, progressive and comp-lete volatilization, or vaporization ofthe more heavy or less volatile liquid fuels, suchas kerosene, to render them available for convenient, efficient and economical use in combustion devices and especially in internal combustion motors. The invention is herein shovvn as embodied in an auxiliary device adapted to be used in connection With the usual carburetor of an internal combustion motor. but it will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the illustrated embodiment and uses, and that 'many features of the invention are of general utility in the art to Which the invention relates.

A general object ,of the invention is to facilitate the formation of the desired explosive mixture whendealing with certain classes of fuels in vaporizing apparatus of` the general type of that disclosed. in my prior applications Ser. No. 211,333 filed Ja'n. 11` 1918, Serial No. 233,223 filed May 8, 1918. Ser. No. 243.172 filed July 3, 1918 and Ser. No. 251,765, filed Aug. 28, 1918.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision. of novel means for insuring the discharge of the vaporized fuel from. the apparatus as 4it is'formed in response to the demand from the internal combustion motor or other device with which it is to be used. this means operating in such. manner that both the composition of the mixture and its temperature will be such as to insure uniformity of combustion.

Other objects and important features of the invent-ion will appear from the following descriptionand claims. when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings` in Which- Fig. l is a side elevation of a vaporizing apparatus embodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sect-ion through the apvolatlhzatlon 'of a liquid fuel or. as herein paratus shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sect-ion on the line 3-3 of Fig.

2, and

than is provided bv the usual air heating means provided with such carburetors. in order to obtain a complete volatilization of kerosene or others of the heavy hydrocarbon fuels under the varying` conditions of atmospheric temperature, particularly in -cold 4Weather. it has usually been found i'iecessary to provide further means for heating the fuel than has been provided with the ordinary carburetor intended for use with the more volatile fuels. Many devices have been provided for effecting such heating. some of which have operated with a fair degree of success, but for the most4 part these devices have been so constructed that in attempting to apply the degree .of heat requisite 'to the complete vaporization of the kerosene or other heavy hydrocarbon fuel. they have applied to the more volatile constituents of the fuel heat of an intensity much greater than that required to vaporizve them, with the result that some of these constituents have beencracked and changed into less combustible compounds` with the usual resultant lenoc-king and rapid carbonizat-ion of the internal combustion motors with which the' devices have been used.

yAs hereinabove suggested, the present invention aims to provide a device for `use in. effecting the complete vaporization or volatilization of a liquid fuel -vvhich `vill so apply the vaporizing heat as to avoid applying an excessive amount of heat to the more volatile constituents of the fuel and which. nevertheless, will operate rapidly and efficiently throughout the range of demands made upon it by the ordinary internal com bustion motors and will supply said motors, under the varying condltionsof atmospheric temperature and 1n response fto the varying demands of such motors, with the proper a mixtures of air and completely volatilif/,ed

and uncracked fuel. ln other words. the invention aims to provide a device for use in effecting the rapid, progressive and complete the ordinary internal combustion motor, particularly vthose used upon motor. vehicles.

The 'illustrated embodiment of the invention, which is. particularly intended for useV with an ordinary carburetor and which is adapted to be located between the carburetor and the intake of an .internal combustion ESG motor, comprises means for separating from the airfand fuel mixture coiningto the a peratus "from the carburetor the unvolatilized portions ofthe fuel and means for vaporizing or volatilizing the ,unvolatilized portions thus separa-ted from the mixture..

lu the iilustintedv construction, the sepa-rating chamber 2 isv formed in the upper rpart of cylindrical casing land the vaporizing chamber 5 is vlocated in said casing below the separating chamber. y o, f

The casing@` which may be formed 'as a. casting of suitable metal such, for example, as aluminum or bronze,4 has preferably formed integral'with'ita tangential inlet 8 provided with a flange lOhaving bolt holes lby which the inlet may be connected to a pipe or other suitable conduit leading from the carburetor withwhich the device is to be used. The casing,r @l is also provided with a partition 14: separating the chamber 2 from the chamber 6, this partition extending about three uartcrs of the way around the inner wallI el the'k casing 4: leaving' an openinga i6 between thcchamber 2 and the chainL ber 5 through which both the air and the volatiliaed portions or' the liquid fuel must pass before being discharged from the ap paratlis and through which ,the` unvolatilized portions ofthe liquid..fuel, which by' the centrifugal movement of the fuel through the separating chamber are thrown against the inner wall of .the chamber, pass down into the vaporizing chamber and around and about the inner wall of said infr into the lower chamber il.

l`he separating chamber Qyis annular in shape, havinga an innerwall vconcentric with outer wall, the inner wall being formed by the discharge pipe 18 which extends down through a concentric opening provided in the partition lll and which tits tightly in said openingr so that withthc wall of the casing; l it bounds an annularpassage between the inlet S und the opening 1li in the chamber 2, the pipe 18 also tittingtightly against a curved suriaceif()"provided on the inlet 8 thus separating the opening' iii from theA in'- leijA The discviargge pip-e lf has preferably chamber, the centrifugal movement continun formed "lteirrai with it a slumblered'iiange adrig' ro rest upon und ht w lun inn medico ed by suitable bolts or screws 26. At its upper end the discharge pipe A18 'is also proing 4 andy to which flange it may be connectvided with a iange 28 adapted to be connecting preferably just belolv the partition-,14

between the chambers .2 and 6. Preferably integral with the pipe 18 are depending ears `36 whieh'rcarry lafblock 38 connectedto said ears by screws 40, the block 38 havin-g a threaded opening concentric with the pas-y, sage inthe discharge pipe 18 into which screwed a second discharge pipe 42 tapered at its upper end at 44. The'purpose of the second' discliarirev pipe 42 is to insure dis# chargent the heavierand less volatile portions of, the fuel as they are volatilized or vaporized in the lower and hotter portions of the chamber 6. To this end? means are provided ior setting up a pressure differential in the dii-.charge pipe 42, the illustrated means working on the venturi principle and comprisingI a restricted passage i6 in the discharge pipe i8 about the tapered upper end lll of the nine 42. ln the illustrated construction, the restricted pesage' 46 is formed in a block 48 adapted to' lit within the pipe 18 and to be held in position in said pipe by any suitable means such as the screw 50. By reason oi" its threaded connection with the block 38., the pipe 42 ymay 'be adjusted up and down in the restricted passa e 46 to secure the proper'suction ei'l'ect' an it may be secured in adjusted position by a lock nutQ.

' The illustrated Vaporizing means like those disclosed in in prior applications Serial #233233, iled ay 8, i918, for Letters Patent for improvements in liquid fuel vafiled August 28, i918, Jfor Letters Patent for yimproveinens in kerosene vaporizers, of

the illustrated construction the casing 4 isy made oi2 the shape shown in Fig. 2 of the ydrawings` the chamber (3 having a tapered or conical intermediate wall portion 54 between the upper part of the chamber 6 andl a lower cylindrical part 55 @if an internal diameter'considerably than that of the upper part. 'Upon the louter Wall oi the Lessico partt 't the chamber in the casing- 4 the CasinV is provided with heat-collecting i'ianges 58 extending about said casing1 and this part of the casing and also a part oi the tapered interii'iediate portion ot Ythe clising, is adapted to be located vwithin a charnher' provided a second casing 611) oi the shape shown iii plan in lfig. 3, the casing 66 iaviug an opening` 62 one end and an opening 64 at its other eiiil whereby it may be inserted in the exhaust pipe ol? an internal combustion motor to permit the exhaust to pass through the chamber in said casing and over the heat-collecting flanges S and about the outer Wall ol the chamber 56 in the casing 4, tl'iushellting the lower end of the vaporizing chamber 6, that (is, the part 56 of said chamber7 to a relatively high degree of heat as compared with the heating` of the upper part et said chamber.

lt. will be seen that no provision is iliade for heating the wall surface 66 in the up` per part of the eliainberl 6 over which the fuel to be vaporired passes except by conduction along the Wall 'from the directly heated lower wall oi' the chamber 6. This heating b v conduction along the wall furnishes a idegree ot heat in the vaporizing siii-face 66 in the upper part oi the chambei suficieut to vaporize the vmore volatile parts ot' the ulivilporizerl luci lwhich passes over said vwall. will be obvious that the intensity the heat increases toward the lower end of the wall 66, the conical part 54 ot the 'all ol" the chamber being still hotter because :l part of it is directly exposed to the exhaust gases upon its outer side. and that 'the heat in th .vall ot the pai-t 56 of the chamber 6 will be much more inv tense than that in the 'wall 66. lvloreover, the radiant heat in the part 56 ot' the chain- `loer 6 will have a much more marked effect upon the t'liel because of the lesser diameter ot this chamber.

For convenience in assembling, the casing 4 provid-ed with a iizluge 6'? bevelled on its outer elige to llt the bevelled or counter-sunk edge 68 of an opening in the upper side ot' the casing nl), through which the part of the casing 4 having the heat collecting ilaiiges 58 tl ei-eoii may be insel' ed into the casing 60. 'lhe casing 6l) is also provided in its lower side with an opening 7() into which the lower @ntl oi' the reduced part of 'tlle casing 4 extends. this lower end of the casing being tapped to receive the thread.

' ed stein "[2 of a rlauig'iing inen'iber '74. The

clamping .uiember-l has a central drainage passage 'itt ani! a pet cor: TH 'tapped into the end ol tbe nieillbr-r 'i4 routrols` this plising description the oper- 'l readily be unrlei "U connected to an ordinary carburetor such as is used with an internal combustion motor and the dis* charge pipe 18 being connected to the iii`v take manifold oil the motor, the suction stroke ot the motor piston will cause a mixture otl air and atomized and partially volatilized hydrocarbon fuel to be drawn into the intake 8 and about the annular passage in the centrifugal or separating chamber 2. The intake 8 being tangential to the curved inner vvallv ot the chamber 2-` the movement of the mixture along the annular passage will cause the heavier unvolatilized portions ,of the fuel to travel about the outer part of the passage and to bei thrown against thel outer ivall of the chamber 2. Since the discharge pipe 18 opens into the chamber 6, the draft from the motor upon the apparatus forces the now' centrifugally moving air7 vapor and unvolatilized fuel particles through the opening 16 into the lower chamber 6 where the heavier unvolatilized portions ol the fuel travel down over the Wall 66 of the chamber. Some of the air and volatilized portions of 'the fuel being displaced toward the center of the chamber are at once drawn into the discharge pipe 18 and up through the restricted passage 46 in the discharge pipe. `By the Well known venturi principle of operation the air and vapor /passing through `the restricted passage 46 become raritied, thus creating apressure diflereiltial between the two ends of the auxiliary discharge pipe 42 which tends to move the vaporized portions of the Juel in the lower part 56 of the chamber 6 up' through the pipe 42 into the stream passing through the pipe 18.

As hereinabove pointed out, the' inner wall of the chamber 6 is so heated that the upper part 6G is heated to a much lower degree of temperature than the Wall ofthe part 56, and the unvaporized fuel striking the wall 66 and passing over' it in a relatively thin film is acted upon by the heat ot said vu'lill'to cause only the more volatile portions of the fuel to be vaporized, The less volatile portions continue moving down the inner wall of the chamber 6 under the action of gravity striking parts of the wall that are heated to higher temperatures, thus producing a fractional distillation of the luel until the least volatile constituents of the fuel come into the hottest part 56 of the chamber 6 where they are eventually vzlporized. I

lt ivill'be obvious thatat times'the mixture that is carried up through the pipe 42 will consist for the most part of vaporized fuel and tliatat other times some of the air and more volatile vapors Will be carried down into the lower part of the chamber 6 and drawn up through the pipe 42. ln either case the heat content of the eventual mixture in the discharge pipe 18 will be lill@ fai.

iproperly proportioned to the character of the mixture. This willbeapparent from the tactA that when the mixture drawn through the pipe 42 is made up largely of the vapor- .ized heavier and less volatile'portions of the y fuel, the heat'content of this mixture will be much greater than that of the air and more volatile portions vthatma'y be drawn through at other .times and therefore the heat content lq) of the eventual mixture -willbe suchasfis required to maintain the heavier vapors in vaporized condition. The operation of the apparatus will therefore be substantiallyl i idea of differentially heating a -vaporizing' surface and causing .the liquid fuel to be vaporized to be directed'- on to this surface and to pass over it in the vdirection of .in-4 creasing heat, have been made 'in my copending application Ser. No. 233,233, filed May 9,1918. Y .s

What I claim as new is: f 1. A liquid fuell vaporizing device vcomi prising, in combination, a vaporizing chamber having a heated wall surface over which the liquid fuel gravitates, means for directly heating the wall of lthe lower part of said chamber, the wall of the upper part of said-chamber being heated only by conduction along' the wall, a discharge pipe con i 40nected with the upper end of said chamber to receive the fuel vapor as formed and adapted to be connectedwith the inta-ke of an internal combustion motor, a venturi or re-l stricted passagein said discharge pipe, and a second pipe having one end opening into said chamber near its lower 'end andghaving its other e'nd extended into said venturi or restricted passage to carry the heavier vapors from the lower end of said chamber into sai discharge pipe; l

2. A jliquid fue] vapoiizing device coniprisiiig a centrifugal separating 'chamber for separating theI unvolatilized portions of an atomized and partly volatilized fuelfrom the volatilized portions. a v aporing chamber located'belowsaid centrifugal. chamber and having a heated wall over which the unvolatilized portions of the fuel grav-itate,V

means for effecting adifferentialheating of said wall,` comprising means for directly heating the wall at the lower end of said chamber, the wall at the upper end of said chamber beingheated by conduction -only along said wall, a discharge pipe adaptedjto' be coiinectedito thel intake of an internal tained broad claims to the subject mattery 4combustion motor and having'its receiving opening in said vaporizing chamber, whereby all vapors-and gases must pass into said chamber before entering saiddischarge pipe, 'y L a venturi in saidfdischarge pipe and a second pipehavi-ng one end extended into the lower end of said yvaporizingchamber and its other end in said venturi for` lifting the" "heavier gases from" the lower end of said voporizingchamber. l -15 fA'liquid 'fuel vaporizingdevice comprising, in combination, a vaporizinfg chamber having .a differentially heated wall* surlface over which the liquid r'uel gravitates, means-v for heating said surface arranged to 80,l

-cause the lower end' of. the wall surface to be heatedtoa much higher temperature than the upper end, a dischargepipe connected withsaidchamber near tspper end, a. second dischargeV pipe Eopening into said te chamber near vits lower end andmeans wherebythe movement of gases through said first mentioned discharge pipe effects a movement of the vapor'ized fuel :fromthe lower end of said chamber throughsaid second mentioned` 90.`

discharge pipe. 4. A liquid fuel vaporizing device adapted to be located between the intake o'fan inf 'v ternal combustion motor and an Ordinar carburetor, said device comprising a centri uga] separating chamber forthe atomized and Vpartly volatilized liquid fuel from the carburetor arranged to separate the unvolatilized portions of said fuel from the volatilized por#I tions, anvaporizing chamber below said centrifugal chamber having i differentially Aheated wall over which `the Vunvolatilized portions of said fuel gravitate, means for` heating said wall arranged to heat the lower 'end of'saidl wall to a much higher tempera.- 105 ture than the upperend, a discharge pipe ajdapted to be connected to the intake of the motor, opening into said vaporizing chamber near its upper `end and having therein a restricted passage, a second dischargepipe ex-` tending into the restricted passage'insaid .first mentioned discharge pipe and opening into said chamber near its lower and.

5. A liquid foei vaporizing device adapted to be located between the intake of an inter- 11B nal combustion motor and an ordinar'f carburetor., said device con'iprising, in combination. means 'fer separating the um olatilized portion of the atomized and partly volatilized fuelv received from said carburetor 1 2@ from the volatilized portions, a. discharge pipe adapted to be connected to the'motor. intake and arranged toreceive/the volatiliacd fuel, a vapoi'izing chamber having a heated. wall surface over which the 'unvola- 125 tilized' portions of the fuel are .adapted to gravitate, means for heating the'wallof said chamber arranged to cause the lower end of lche'vwill to be heated to a much higher degree of temperature than the upper end, .and te@ means extending into the lower end of sai chamber and connected with said disc-ha Y pipe for lifting the heavier por-V vaporized fuel from the lov-ver chamber and carrying them into of -fuel passing through said di, pipe 6. A liquid fuel vaporizing` 'z2 coin-- prising, in combination, a vapoi chamber having a heated Wall surface over which the unvolatilized fuel gravitates, means Afor heating said Wall surface arranged to heat the surface at the lower end of said chamber directly by conduction through the wall and to heat the surface at the upper end oi' said chamber only by conduction along the `wall whereby degrees of vaporizing heat eppropriate to the volatility ci the dii'erent fuel constituents are supplied as said fuel gravitates from the upper to the lower end of said Wall surface, a discharge pipe adapt ed to be connected to the intake of an intel nal combustion motor, openingv into the upper end of said chamber and adapted to receive the more volatile portions of the fuel as they are vaporized, a second discharge pipe extending into the lower end of said chamber to receive the heayier portions of the vaporized fuel as' they are vaporized in the lower part of. said. chamber, and means for creating a lifting'dilerential of pressure in said second mentioned discharge pipe an ranged t0 carry the less volatile portions of the fuel when volatilized into the stream to the motor intake.`

fil@

7. In a device of the class described, adapt ed to be located between the intake oi an in terna] combustion motor and an ordinary carburetor, acentrifugal separating chan'iber for separating the unvolatilized portions oir1 an atomized and partly volatilized fuel 'from the volatilized portions, a vaporizing chain- Vherlielow said separating chamber and with which said separating chamber communin Cates, said vaporizing chamber having" a heated Wall over which the unvolatiiiaed portions of the fuel 'gravitate means for heating said Wall arrangen tocause the lower end of the Wall to be heated to a much higher temperature .than the upper end, a discharge pipe for the air and vaporized fue] communicating-With said va porizing chamber near its upper fend and into which the air and vaporized fuel is free to pass,l a second discharge pipe comu l pipe extending); centrally through said sep v l Ah 'vaporiningl chaml its lower end, and means Whe' passage of the air and vapor c through the iii f l:med disci creat a pressure erential the hurle" end or' seconden l c ',xi

liquid fuel porizing-derice prising, in combination, a vap'orizinl;T ci ber havin;y a diierentially heated wall face over which` the liquid fuel to in poi-ined sjrayi-tates, means for heatino; surface arranged to cause the lower said surface to be heated to a much temperature than the upper end, di pipe for said vzviporized fusi coinniui with said chamber al' its upper end ond discharge 'L iniuuicaiting wi chamber near li, end and also coni- Inunicating' with said irst mentioned di charge pipo, and means whereby the nier ment or" the vaporizcd fuel through said first mentioned discharge pipe creates n sure diiiierent-ial in yid second pipe Yfor.carryingthe heavier fuel y oi from the lower end of said chamber inw i stream oi' Yaporized fuel from the upper oi said cl'lan'iber.

9, Fuel vaporizing means comprising, in combination, a cylini cal separating chu ber havingy a tangential intake,l a vapori;` chamber below scid separating chamber aid witL which said separating chamber co, nuinicates through its bottoni, a discharge cretinar chamber and opening intoA said pcrizing chamber, for heating the wall o' said vanta-infine' chamber arranged 'to cause the lower of the wall surface to be heated to a much higher teiniieratnre than the upper end, a second discharge pipe iocated within saidvaporiziug chamber and extending to a point neer the bottoni if ereoi; und havingr its other end located within "aid first mentioned discl'iargc pipe, a vent restricted passage about the upper c said second discl'iarge pipe, said vaporizing chamber being' also restricted in diameter .about the lower end o said second discharge pipe. i Signed at Canton, hio, `this 31st day of 

